


what made you change your mind?

by hehrshykiss



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Short One Shot, kind of an open ending?, they dont really end up staying together, we know that much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:55:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27686569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hehrshykiss/pseuds/hehrshykiss
Summary: You know how, when you joke about something too much, it starts to come true? Howard mentioned the flamingo one time too many.
Relationships: Edwin Jarvis/Howard Stark
Kudos: 7





	what made you change your mind?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there :> Can we all collectively agree that this is my first work and forget *that* one?  
> Again, English is not my first language and I'm just publishing these for fun. We really need to make this ship a thing.  
> \--  
> None of the characters are mine, Howard Stark and Edwin Jarvis are both owned by Marvel. This is purely just for entertainment purposes, no profit made off it whatsoever.

The thing with being called a futurist is that people expect of you the future. It's not the definition, but they can't help it. Whether it's simple ideas, or fully-fledged predictions, they expect him to know what's to come to tomorrow. 

At some point, Howard thought he did, too. 

In the middle of a starry night, the sky looking far more beautiful than it should to be in the middle of a war, Howard's in a creaky bed in the middle of a foreign camp. Maybe he's over romanticizing what they have, but he can't help it. Maybe, this is what love feels like.

"You're doing it again." 

He turns, meeting Jarvis's face, and smiles. "Doing what?"

Edwin purses his lips, tracing down a line on his bare chest. "You look at me as if I'm one of your inventions, staring at me in thought."

"I was thinking."

"You think too much."

A moment of silence passes. They have a lot of those, so very different from his work. The constant buzzing of his mind, the whirring of motors, the clang of metal. He rolls over, just to bury his face in the crook of Edwin's neck.

"Howard?"

"Mhm?" He looks up and stops. Edwin's staring at him this time, green eyes boring into him. He seems hesitant, though. "You're thinking now. Maybe you should follow your own advice."

"Do you think you will ever marry?"

He has thought about that a lot. Mostly just passing ideas, humoring a calculation of legality every once in a while. "Maybe, maybe not. Why?"

"What do you think the future has in store for us?"

"Haven't really thought about it." Liar. "Maybe we end up living together. One of my smaller houses, with a tall, white fence and a yard. We could get a dog."

Edwin laughs, and it's the most beautiful thing. "A dog?"

He wasn't that excited about it either. "No, scratch the dog. Might as well get a koala. No, a flamingo." There's that laugh again. He slows down, "There's that. Hopefully, after everything, you'll marry me too."

Edwin has a stunned expression, though one different from when he sees something crude happen in front of him. No, this one's good. He hopes it's good. "I imagine they'd get our heads before you find a glass to smash on the floor."

Howard takes his hands in his, and squeezes. It doesn't hurt to be hopeful. "But imagine if we could. Numbers are looking optimistic."

Edwin's smile turns sad, and slowly shakes his head. "Numbers? Howard, do you really think we exist in the outside world?"

"We can. We will. Hell, we do! Of course, we do."

They take a moment to breathe. What does Edwin mean with that? 

"Alright, but I don't want a flamingo."

...

...

You know how, when you joke about something too much, it starts to come true?

"Jarvis, I need you to pick something up on the way."

Yeah, he probably mentioned the flamingo one time too many.

**Author's Note:**

> I imagine this to be around 1941, because the wiki said Jarvis met Howard and Ana around 1940. Forgive Howard, he just felt a little angsty after a kid, peter parker at stark expo-style, asked him about the future.


End file.
